April is already here, and the Arlington ISD Board of Trustees held its first meeting of the month last night. Here are a few of the highlights.
Ian Owens, a sixth grader from Short Elementary, started the meeting by leading everyone in the pledges of allegiance. Thank you, Ian.
Then, more than 50 fourth grade Duff choir students filled the board room and performed a high-energy piece led by choir director Joshua Lewis. They were so good, and it was such a fun performance.
Then the board had more fun giving out a bunch of honors. First, they celebrated the student of the month, Tiwatope Ogunhibe, a senior at Seguin High School. From her leadership in student council and dedication in AVID to her role as an athletic trainer and her time on the soccer field, she consistently shows up with passion and purpose. She doesn’t just participate – she excels, leads, and inspires those around her. Congrats, Tiwatope.
Then the board honored the district’s spelling bee winners and all high school swimmers who won district this year and qualified for regionals. Congrats to all of these incredible spellers and student athletes.
The board also recognized Dental Health Arlington as an outstanding community partner for their SMILES program and partnership each year at the Arlington ISD Back to School Kickoff. Thank you, Dental Health Arlington.
Later, the trustees heard an update on the 2019 Bond program. Many of the projects in that bond are complete or getting close, but there are still some that we are underway or about to begin. Kelly Horn, the assistant superintendent for facility services, outlined their progress.
The board also heard a progress report from Chief of Schools Officer Bret Champion related to recent benchmark testing. At the last board meeting, the overall results from those tests were presented. Last night, the focus was on progress at the highest needs campuses and next steps.
Finally, the board approved a transportation plan for students at Blanton Elementary who are being rezoned to different schools next year. Blanton parents expressed concern about transportation for next year, so the district developed a plan to give all Blanton students the option to ride a bus next year.
Those are just a few of the highlights from tonight. If you would like more details on any of these items, or any of the items not covered in this Board Brief, please click here to watch the entire meeting.